Dedicated to inspiring designers, inventors & the creative spirit in all of us.

Use this blade of grass page marker to keep tabs in your favorite read. At first glance, I thought this was a cleverly disguised planter, styled as a book.

Bloom Box claims to have designed a power generator that combines oxygen and natural gas, biogas or solar energy to create electricity. ”6O Minutes” interviewed the inventor and his financial backer, who are going extremely public after years of secrecy. Among the initial companies testing the hype — Google, eBay, and Walmart. Take a look at the video for yourself.

Yeah, that’s right, a gasket for your switch plates and outlet covers. I have read where this is a great idea to maintain a seal this winter when watching heating costs. Do your own homework, but it looks like heat can make its way out from more than just windows and doors.

Harnessing energy through the action of a rocking chair is a clever way to illuminate a reading light. The Murakami Chair does just that, and even has an OLED lamp that knows when it is needed and when to store energy for later use.

A perfect way to reuse a CD case.

Cashed in the clunker and need to rid the trunk of unused objects? Why not give your funnel a second life?

Wipe down mirrors, glass or electronic wires with a coffee filter. You can even divide stacked chinaware to avoid scratching.

Run an old toothbrush through the dishwasher then use it to clean the hair out of razor blades to extend the life of a razor.

Use baby wipe containers for markers, craft supplies, and sewing items.

See how to even transform a light bulb into a ship in a bottle. Anything can be  reused if you take the time to be creative!

Going back to school means a lot of people buying a whole lot of new things. Teachers, students, parents; we are all consumers. With so many designs keeping the environment in mind during planning and manufacture, it would be nice to see a few students sporting green with their back to school gear. Here are a few products to get you started.

Newton running shoes are more than just green. The shoes laces, webbing, insole top and outer sole rubber are made of recycled materials. And there is more; the package is made of the same post-consumer paper waste as egg cartons. And to get greener than green, the shoe is stuffed with a pair of new socks and a reusable bag to avoid useless tissue paper that would normally get tossed after opening.

Every new school year sees last year’s trends moved aside for the hottest new items. Well, try going green with this 100% recycled material backpack. The cost of the backpack even includes a donation to American Rainforests, so chances are you will be helping to add a tree or two for your money well spent.

Radiohead, noted to be one of the greenest bands out there has extended its line of apparel to raincoats. The nice thing about their designer coat (other than it is made for Radiohead) is that it took 15 recycled PETG bottles to create it. Look cool, feel cool and be cool with this post-consumer jacket this fall.

And speaking of rainy fall weather, if campus life has you traveling by foot from class to class, be sure to pack an umbrella. This umbrella has a canopy made of 100% recycled PETG bottles with a frame made of 70% recycled steel, aluminum and ABS plastics. 

Pack up your pencils, pens and markers into this recycled supply pouch and feel good knowing that the world has one less tire in its landfills. And while you’re at it, stuff in the ruler made of, “read it together class: three plastic cups.”

Who goes to school without a notebook. If you are going to have to take notes, you might as well write onto something worth writing on. This recycled material notebook will have you daydreaming and doodling in no time, thanks to recycled juice cartons and plastic boxes.

Highlighters are a must for most note-takers and young scholars. Why not go green when you go yellow by using these Zebra-Eco highlighters made from 74% post-consumer waste. Go ahead, stuff it in that pouch you just read about.

Packing your lunch is a must for some students, by choice or necessity. Do it in style with this second-life juice pouch bag. This ECOutlet bag is made from materials once known as trash, but now known as green.

I would have to say the biggest complaint about going green, is all the green you spend in doing so. Although it can be costly to buy environmentally responsible products, sometimes I think it is worth it to do so, as with this computer. With an 80% smaller size, using 70% less energy and 75% less printed paperwork to go with it, this Dell desktop computer is definitely getting greener. You can even recycle 95% of the product after it becomes obsolete.

I came across one of these ceramic coffee cups over the weekend while shopping with my family, and was completely tricked into believing it was a throw-away cup. Once opened, it even reveals a silicone sleeve, just like the cardboard ones that all of the fancy coffee shops wrap around your paper cup. The double-walled cup maintains the temperature of your beverage longer than any throw-away cup, however, and it doesn’t attract the awe of onlookers like other reusable cups and mugs that scream, “Hey, I am trying to save the world here, one cup at a time!”

The new Xeros washing machine system uses about 1 cup of water, compared to the gallons we are accustomed to using for regular loads of laundry. Xeros technology uses reusable nylon polymer beads to agitate your clothes during the wash cycle; nylon polymer has an inherent polarity that attracts stains and can absorb them from slightly dampened garments using around a cup of water. What a great, eco-friendly design!

What a novel idea to have the drying feature built into the design of this dinner plate. Reminding me so much of a clothesline, this plate drip dries after you hang it to dry, leaving no water droplets behind. There needs to be a line of silverware and bowls using this same air-dry feature.